T.J. Ward had barely hit town when the Broncos strong safety made the type of headlines suitable for the crime pages.

Charged with misdemeanor assault and disturbing the peace after an early-morning incident at PT’s All Nude club May 10, Ward was the subject of an arrest warrant last Thursday.

To his credit, Ward didn’t run from the Denver media as the Broncos held their first organized team activities (OTA) practice Wednesday at their Dove Valley headquarters.

“Anytime there’s a negative situation about yourself, it’s a little embarrassing,” Ward said after his first practice as a Bronco. “But I think it was kind of blown out of proportion. It was basically a ticket or a summons, and it wasn’t supposed to be a warrant. There was miscommunication between the police department and myself, so that’s why they issued that. But that’s all being resolved.”

Ward played his first four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and was named to the Pro Bowl last season. He became a free agent in March and soon after signed a four-year contract with the Broncos that will pay him $7 million in salary and bonus this season.

He will have to set aside some of that loot for lawyer fees. According to the police department, the incident occurred at 2:30 a.m. May 10 when Ward allegedly tossed a mug at a PT’s bartender after she told him alcohol was not allowed inside the club.

Upon learning of his warrant last Thursday, Ward, with his attorney, appeared in a Denver County Court on Friday morning. Ward was issued a summons and given a June 23 court hearing.

Broncos coach John Fox said Wednesday he discussed the situation with Ward well before the incident made headlines last week.

“Like all legal processes, we do have a process,” Fox said. “We feel good about what direction it’s going, and we’ll work through it.”

Ward quickly found out nothing in this town makes bigger news, good or bad, than news involving the Broncos.

“You have to be aware of what you do in certain situations and times of the day,” he said. “I’ve learned from that, and I’m looking forward to moving on.”

Mike Klis was with The Denver Post from Jan. 1, 1998 before leaving in 2015 to join KUSA 9News. He covered the Rockies and Major League Baseball until the 2005 All-Star break, when he was asked to start covering the Broncos.

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